Tape applicator

ABSTRACT

A tape dispensing, applicating and cutting device formed with a U-shaped channel body, a tape supply roll at its rearward end for supplying tape longitudinally through the channel and a reciprocatingly mounted forward tip member with a burnishing surface which is movable against a cutting blade mounted rearwardly of the burnishing surface and extending forwardly for severing interposed tape. A manually drivable, knurled, advancing roller and a radially adjacent resilient idle roll permit precise, manual, tape advance. The tape is easily cut at the burnishing surface by titling the device to a substantially vertical orientation and depressing it downwardly against the graphic workpiece thereby sliding the burnishing surface against the cutter blade and severing the interposed tape.

AUZ- 13, 1974 vD. E. SULLIVANl l 3,829,346

TAPE APPLICATOR Filed nec. 12. 1972 `2 sheets-shew 1 OILS )/4 l* Y A s ll l u I Aug. 13, 1914 .ESULLNAN 3,829,346-,

TAPE APPLICATOR Filednec. 12, 1972 f zsneets-sneetz United States PatentO 3,829,346 TAPE APPLICATOR Donald E. Sullivan, 1493 Fahlander Drive S.,Columbus, Ohio 43229 Filed Dec. 12, 1972, Ser. No. 314,425 Int. Cl. B65c11/00 U.S. Cl. 156-527 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tapedispensing, applicating and cutting device formed with a U-shapedchannel body, a tape supply roll at its rearward end for supplying tapelongitudinally through the channel and a reciprocatingly mounted forwardtip member with a burnis-hing surface which is movable against a cuttingblade mounted rearwardly of the burnishing surface and extendingforwardly for severing interposed tape. A manually drivable, knurled,advancing roller and a radially adjacent resilient idle roll permitprecise, manual, tape advance. The tape is easily cut at the burnishingsurface by tilting the device to a substantially vertical orientationand depressing it downwardly against the graphic workpiece therebysliding the burnishing surface against the cutter blade and severing theinterposed tape.

BACKGROUND This invention relates generally to adhesive tape dispensingand applying and more particularly relates to a device forsimultaneously dispensing and applying pressure sensitive tape ingraphic art composition.

There are generally two types of tape dispensers. One type is adispenser only and is ordinarily fixed in a stationary position. Itstape is withdrawn as needed and applied independently of the tapedispenser. For example, many oiiices utilize a weighted dispenser whichincludes a roll of tape, a temporary adhering pad and a cutter. Tape ismanually pulled from the roll, severed against the cutting edge and thenapplied by hand.

The second general type of dispenser is held in the hand and may have awheel or other structure which presses the tape to the work piecesurface.

In certain types of graphic compositions, such as the layout ofnewspaper advertising, pressure sensitive tape is used in place of inkedor pencil lines because of its sharp edges, blackness, durability, andthe ease of removing or relocating lines. Conventionally, such graphicart tape is applied by hand from a supply roll onto the work piece andthen cut to the proper length by means of a small knife. Thisconventional procedure, however, has the disadvantages of being timeconsuming, somewhat inaccurate, and of producing an unwanted supply ofend clippings and of causing undesirable nicks, cuts or scratches in thework surface, especially in black or color areas which can be seen whenphotographed.

In Pat. 2,868,402, I. H. Perry discloses a hand held applicator. Thisapplicator offers direct application of the tape from the dispenser tothe work sheet and discloses means for `cutting the tape.

Unfortunately, the Perry device and other prior art devices fail toprovide adequate means for advancing the tape through the device and aresubject to drag produced by adherence of the adhesive surface of thetape to various parts of the device. Use of the Perry device isadditionally complicated because the tape does not protrude from thedevice in a consistent and predictable orientation prior to eachapplication of tape.

Other difficulties with prior art tape dispensers and applicators arethat the tape is cut within the body of the device so that the operatordoes not know how much excessive tape will be pulled out of the deviceafter operating its cutter.

The significant drag of prior art devices causes a stretching of theapplied tape with the result that work piece sheets have a tendency tocurl or roll after tape is applied to them.

For these and other reasons, there is therefore a need for an improvedtape dispenser and applicator rwhich facilitates the efforts of thegraphic composer and improves the quality of his work product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is an adhesive tape dispenser andapplicator device which in a generally horizontal operable position maybe described as having an elongated body formed with a downwardly openlongitudinal slot. Relatively movable, cooperating tip member and matingcutting blade are formed near the forward end of the elongated body. Thetip member is formed at the forward most end of the device and has adownwardly and forwardly facing burnishing surface. A portion of the tipmember is matingly seatable against the cutting blade for severinginterposed tape. The blade and tip member are relatively movable alsointo spaced relationship with each other. A tape advancing roller isrotatably mounted to the body and eX- tends into the slot. A biased holddown means is radially adjacent the advancing roller for forcing thetape against the periphery of the advancing roller. A tape supply rollis rotatably mounted relatively near the opposite end of the body and ispositioned to feed a ribbon of tape into and longitudinally along theslot with its adhesive surface facing the open side of the slot, andthence tangentially across the advancing roller between the cuttingblade and tip member and out of the front of the body.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved tapeapplicator and dispensing device.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which ismechanically'simple and consequently inexpensive to manufacture, easy tomaintain and durable.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device which causesonly very minimal resistance or drag to the flow of tape through thedevice as tape is applied.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a device whichallows applied tape to lbe cut immediately adjacent the burnishing tipof the device by an extremely simple operation.

Yet another object of the invention is to optimize the ease andsimplicity of initially threading the tape and of advancing the tapeafter each applying operation.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a device in whichthe threaded tape does not become twisted, stuck, misthreaded orotherwise fouled up in the interior of the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device whichrequires a minimal tape advance after each tape application.

Further objects and features of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing specification and claims when considered in connection withthe accompanying drawings illustrating several embodiments of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS lFIG. 1 is a plan View of the preferredembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1. v

FIG. 3 is a lateral vertical section taken substantially along the lines3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the lines4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the lines4-4 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the movement of the tip member of FIG. 4.

FIG 6 is a view in perspective of the preferred embodimentof theinvention illustrated in FIG. l in a position for operating the cuttermechanism.

FIG. 7 is a view in side elevation of a segment of an alternativeembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view of a segment of yet, anotheralternative embodiment of the invention.

In describing the preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated inthe drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake ofclarity. However, it is not intended to be limited to the specific termsso selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includesall technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner toaccomplish a similar purpose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The preferred embodiment 8 of the invention isillustrated in a generally horizontal, operable position in FIGS. l-4.It has an elongated body 10 which is preferably a U-shaped channelmember formed with a downwardly opening, longitudinal slot 12 andmanufactured preferably of plastic or synthetic resin.

Relatively movable and cooperating tip member 14 and mating cuttingblade 16 are provided near the forward end of the device 8. At theforward most end of the device, the tip member is formed with adownwardly and forwardly facing burnishing surface 18. Although variouscurvilinear surfaces would provide a suitable burnishing surface, thepreferred burnishing surface comprises a generally lateral, horizontalcylinder 20 which seats longitudinally against a linear cutting ed-ge ofthe cutting blade A16. The cylinder 20 extends laterally the entirewidth of the body 12. Preferably, the entire tip member 14 is formed ofmetal for strength and durability.

Such seating is possible because the tip member 14 is slidably andmatingly mounted in the slot 12 of the body 10 for longitudinalreciprocation and forwardly biased by a spring 22. The spring 22 isfixed at one end 24 in a spring retainer 26 which extends across thewidth of the channel 12.

The cutting blade 16 is preferably xed rearwardly of the burnishingsurface 18 and extends forwardly for at times being matingly contactedby the tip member 14 on or adjacent to the burnishing surface 18. Inthis manner, tape which may be interposed between the cutting blade 16and the burnishing surface 18 will be severed at the point ofintersection. Preferably, the blade 16 is frictionally engaged in a pairof horizontal slots and 27 formed on opposite sides of the slot 12.

A deeply knurled advancing roller 28 is rotatably mounted to the body 10and extends upwardly into the slot 12. Preferably, the advancing roller28 also extends downwardly below the slot 12 so that it may be manuallydriven or rotated by the thumb or finger of an operator.

Rotatably mounted vertically above the advancing wheel 28 is a resilientidle roll 30 which serves as a hold down means for forcing the threadedtape against the upper periphery of the advancing roller 28. Theknurling on the advancing roller 28 both facilitates the frictionbetween an operators nger and the advancing roller 28 and additionallyprevents substantial adherence of the adhesive tape to the advancingroller 28.

Formed at the rearward end of the body 10 is a rearwardly and downwardlyprojecting arm 32 on which a tape supply roll 34 is rotatably mountedand retained by a suitable hub 36. Preferably, the hub 36 is threadedlyengaged to the arm 32 with high pitched screw threads to facilitatequick and easy replacement of the tape supply 17011 34. The tape supplyroll 34 is positioned to feed a ribbon of tape 38 into andlongitudinally along the slot 12 with its adhesive surface facingdownwardly toward the open side of the slot 12. The threaded ribbon oftape extends tangentially across the advancing roller 28, thence betweenthe cutting blade 16 and the tip member 1=4 and out of said body.

Preferably, the lower surfaces 42 and 44 of the spring retainer 26 arealigned approximately with the tape flow and are inclined to operate asguide surfaces which extend between opposite side walls of the slot 12.The guide surfaces direct the tape between the advancing roller 28 andthe idle roll 30 when tape is initially threaded through the device.Similarly, the lower inner surface 46 of the tip member 14 is curveddownwardly and forwardly and oriented to guide the threaded tapedownwardly from the advancing wheel 28 between the tip member 14 and thecutting blade 46. Consequently, it can be seen from the formation ofthese guide surfaces that tape is always properly projected from the tipend of the preferred embodiment in the same predictable orientation atthe same place.

A longitudinally elongated notch 50 is formed on the lower side of thetip member 14. The notch 50 is positioned so that the resilient idleroll 30 releasably latches into the notch 50 for removably retaining thelongitudinally slidable tip member 14 in the body 10. Additionally, thefrontal surface of the notch 50 seats against and restrains rotation ofthe idle roll 30 when the tip member 14 is slid rearwardly and engagedagainst the cutter blade 16.

In order to facilitate the ow of tape from the supply roll 34 to theadvancing roller 28 and to maintain the proper alignment of the taperibbon 38 in the slot 12, a knurled threading roller 52 is rotatablymounted near the rearward end of the body 10. This threading roller S2is substantially horizontally aligned in the slot with tape threadedbetween the advancing roller 28 and the idle roll 30 so that tape fromthe tape supply roll 34 extends substantially longitudinally through theslot 12 even when the roll 34 is nearly exhausted.

In the operation of the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. l-6,operation begins by loading the device with tape and threading the tapeproperly through the device. A fresh roll of tape 34 is mounted byunscrewing the hub 36 from the body 10 of the device and positioning theroll 34 against the arm 32. The hub 36 is threadedly replaced and theend of the tape is then withdrawn and pulled away from the periphery ofthe tape roll 34.

Because the entire slot 12 has an open bottom, the end of the taperibbon 38 is very simply looped over the threading roller 52 and theninserted upwardly into the slot 12 and slid along the guiding surface 44into engagement between the advancing roller 28 and the idle roll 30.With the other hand the operator then rotates the advancing roller in acounterclockwise direction in FIG. 4 and releases the ribbon of tapefrom his fingers. Further rotation of the advancing roller 28 pushes theend of the tape ribbon along the guide surface 46 formed on theunderside of the tip member 14 and out of the device between the cuttingblade 16 and the burnishing surface 18 as shown in FIG. 4.

The operator then grasps the entire device 8 in one hand and holds itsslightly inclined to the work piece, for example, at an angle of l0degrees to 45 degrees with the work piece. The end 60 of the tape ribbon38 is then lowered onto the proper position on the layout. With adownward pressure exerted by the hand holding the device 8, theburnishing surface 18 is used to press the tape ribbon onto the paper.The device is then drawn across the layout paper while pressure ismaintained upon the upper surface of the tape ribbon by the burnishingsurface 18. A straight edge or even a curved guide can conveniently beused. The side of the tip member is designed to slide well along such aguiding edge. Very little dra-g is experienced because the adhesive sideof the tape ribbon contacts only two points in the device and both ofthese points are peripheral surfaces of freely rotatable knurled wheels52 and 28. The adhesive side of the tape ribbon 38, even if the tapebecomes slack, can not contact any iixed portion of the device becausethe adhesive side faces the open bottom of the slot 12.

In order to effect severing of the tape, the device is most convenientlythen inclined into a vertical orientation as shown in FIG. 6 anddepressed downwardly toward the work piece.

A downward force on the body 10 of the device 8 causes the entire body10 and the parts attached thereto to move downwardly relative to the tipmember 14. Thus, depression of the device toward the paper moves theburnishing surface 18 into engagement against the cutting edge of thecutting blade 16 as shown in FIG. 5 to sever the interposed tapeimmediately adjacent the point of contact between the extreme tip of thedevice and the already applied tape. The simple downward depressioncompletely severs the tape at the most advantageous position and avoidsany need to uncomfortably orient the device to provide finger access toa button or trigger in order to actuate the cutting mechanism.

Of course, the cutting mechanism can also be operated in any otherorientation. However, at larger angles with the vertical position, thetip member 14 may need to be held stationary by a finger on the otherhand of the operator to permit the entire body 10 to be slid forwardly.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the side of the notch 50 of the tip member 14engages the idle roll 30 when the tip member 14 is longitudinally slidto its cutting position. The idle roll 30 is thereby restrained againstrotation. Consequently, even if the blade does not completely sever thetape, the entire device may be maintained in its vertical orientationwith the downward force maintained so that it can be slid horizontallyand thereby tear or break any connections remaining across the boundaryof the cutting edge and the burnishing surface 18.

After severing the tape, the entire device is lifted from the worksheet. The advancing roller 28 may be rotated by the finger of eitherhand to advance the tape ribbon again past the edge of the cutting blade66 to a position such as illustrated in FIG. 4. Very little advance isrequired because the tape was severed near the very tip of the device.

An important feature of the present invention is that, because thecutting blade 16 is at a relatively acute angle with the tape ribbon 38in the forward portion of the device, the tape is easily released fromany adherence to the cutting blade 16 by a simple counterclockwiserotation of the advancing wheel 28. Of course, the advancing wheel 28may be rotated in either direction for precise adjustment of the lengthof the tape projecting from the nose of the device. The resilient idleroll 30 maintains the proper frictional engagement of the knurledperiphery of the advancing roller 28 against the adhesive surface of thetape ribbon 38. However, because of the deep knurling, the tape 38 doesnot adhere and continue circularly around with advancing roller 28.

The resilience of the idle roll 30 additionally cushions and smooths theimpact of the burnishing surface 18 against the cutting blade 16 becauseit engages the forward side of the notch 50. This provides a smoother,more comfortable cut and prolongs blade life.

Replacement of the cutting blade 16 and if necessary replacement of thetip member 14 is very easily accomplished by simply grasping the end 20of the tip member 14 and longitudinally pulling upon it to withdraw itfrom the body 10. Compression of the resilient idle roll 30 by therearward end of the notch 50 will permit the nose tip member 14 to bewithdrawn from the body 10.

The blade 16 is then slid longitudinally forwardly out of its retainingslots 25 and 27 and replaced with a similar new blade. The tip piece 14is then slid longitudinally into the body 10 until the notch 50 engagesthe idle roll 30. Further force upon the tip member 18 forcing itrearwardly against the new blade 16 will push the blade 16 rearwardlyand seat it in its support slots 25 and 27 safely and without the use ofadditional tools. The tip member 14 is thus releasably secured andlatched in th body 10. g

As an additional feature of convenience, the tip member 14 can beremoved and the tape drawn slightly backwards into the device 8 toexpose the cutting blade 16 and permit it to be used as a knife fortrimming.

Various alternative embodiments are of course, possible within thespirit of the present invention. In one modification, the cutting bladecan be made longitudinally slidable while the tip member would be fixed.The cutting blade could be manually slidable and thereby permit the tipmember and the cutting blade to lbe relatively movable into and out ofcutting position. Certain disadvantages of this become obvious however.

Another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 7 would have the axle of theadvancing roller 128 rotatably mounted in a vertical slot 130. Althoughthis structure would sacrifice some of the locking features of thepreferred embodiment, it would permit the advancing roller 128 to dropaway from the idle roll to further decrease the drag during theapplication of tape. Then, when tape advance is needed, the roller 128 smerely pushed upwardly by the actuating finger and rotated to advancethe tape ribbon in exactly the same manner as illustrated in connectionwith the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6.

Advantageously, the advancing roller 28 could alternatively be mountedso as not to extend, if desired, from the body 10 and instead could bedrivingly connected to an electric or other powered motor. In thismanner, the tape could be advanced, for example, by the actuation of anelectrical switch. i

FIG. 8 illustrates yet another alternative embodiment of the presentinvention. It has a cutting blade 216 which is fixedly secured to thebody 210 and extends upwardly. The tip member of this embodimentincludes both a rigidly fixed burnishing surface 218 and areciprocatingly mounted anvil member 219. The anvil member 219 ispivotally mounted to the body 210 by a pivot pin 221 for reciprocalmovement from the position illustrated in which it is spaced from thecutting blade 216 into mating contact with the blade 216 at its anvilsurface 223. Thus, in this alternative embodiment of FIG. 8, the tape issevered by the depression of the anvil member 219 by a finger 225 of theoperator. This embodiment, also permits, through use of a notch 250, therestraining techniques described above between the anvil member 219 andan idle roll 230.

Advantageously, a roller 232 is rotatably mounted on a spring 234 nextto the cutting blade 216. The roll is thereby vertically, resilientlybiased to lift the tape from the edge of the cutting blade 216 if itbecomes adhered thereto.

It is to be understood that while the detailed drawings and specificexamples given describe preferred embodiments of the invention, they arefor the purposes of illustration only, that the apparatus of theinvention is not limited to the precise details and conditions disclosedand that various changes may be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention which is defined by the following claims. ,1

I claim:

1. An adhesive tape dispenser, applicator and cutter device in anoperable generally horizontal position comprismg:

(a) an elongated body having in said operable position a relativelyforward first end and a relatively rearward second end and formed with adownwardly opening longitudinal slot;

(b) relatively movable, cooperating tip member and mating cutting blade,said tip member formed at a forward most portion of said forward firstend of said device with a downwardly and forwardly facing, smoothlycurved burnishing surface, a portion of said tip member being matinglyseatable against said lcutting blade for severing interposed tape andbeing relatively positionable in spaced relation with said tip member,said tip member and said cutting blade being biased apart in said spacedrelation by a biasing means; v (c) a knurled tape advancing rollerrotatably mounted to said body, extending into said slot and extendingbelow said slot for permitting manually driven rotation for feedingtape;

(d) a biased hold down means radially adjacent the advancing roller forforcing the tape against the periphery of said advancing roller; and

(e) a tape supply rotatably mounted relatively near the rearward secondend of said body and positioned to feed a ribbon of tape into andlongitudinally along said slot with its adhesive surface facing the openside of said slot, tangentially across said advancing roller, betweensaid cutting bla-de and tip member and out of said body.

2. 1A device according to claim 1 wherein said hold down means comprisesa resilient idle roll rotatably mounted above said advancing roller.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said cutting blade is iixedlysecured to said body and said tip member includes a reciprocatinglymounted anvil member movable from a position spaced from said cuttingblade into mating contact with said blade. l

4. An adhesive tape dispenser, applicator and cutter device in anoperable generally horizontal position comprising:

(a) an elongated body having in an operable position a relativelyforward first and relatively rearward second end and formed with adownwardly opening longitudinal slot;

(b) relatively movable, cooperating tip member and mating cutting blade,said tip member slidably mounted to the body for longitudinalreciprocation and formed at a forward most portion of said forward firstend of said device with a downwardly and forwardly facing, burnishingsurface, a portion of said tip member being matingly seatable againstsaid cutting blade for severing interposed tape said cutting blade beingxed rearwardly of said surface and extending forwardly in spacedrelation with said tip member for at times being matingly contacted bysaid tip member for severing interposed tape said tip member beingbiased away from said cutting blade and toward said forward first end bya biasing means;

(c) a knurled tape advancing roller rotatably mounted to said body,extending into said slot andextending below said slot for permittingmanually driven rotation;

(d) a resilient idle roll rotatably mounted radially ad- '8 jacent andabove the advancing roller for forcing the tape against the periphery ofsaid advancing roller; and l (e) a tape supply rotatably mountedrelatively near the rearward second end of said body and positioned tofeed a ribbon of tape into and longitudinally along said slot with itsadhesive surface facing the open side of said slot, tangentially acrosssaid advancing roller, between said cutting blade and tip member and outof said body.

5.. A device according to claim 4 wherein said burnishing surfacecomprises a generally lateral, horizontal cylinder which seatslongitudinally against a linear cutting edge of said cutting blade. A

6. A device according to claim S wherein said slidable tip member isformed with a longitudinally elongated notch in which said resilientidle roll releasably latches for removably retaining said slidable tipmember in said body and for seating against and restraining rotation ofsaid idle roll when said slidable tip member is engaged against saidcutter blade.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein a plurality of guide surfacesextend 4between opposite side walls of sai-d slot above said tape fordirecting said tape between said advancing roller and said idle roll anddownwardly between said tip member and said cutting blade.

8. A device according to claim 7 wherein a knurled threading roller isrotatably mounted near the rearward second end of said body andsubstantially horizontally aligned in said slot with tape threadedbetween said ad- 'vancing roller and said idle roll for tangentiallyreceiving tape from said tape supply roll.

9. A device according to claim 9 wherein said body comprises a generallyU-shaped channel member and wherein said slidable tip member matinglyslides within the end of said channel and said burnishing surfacecylinder extends laterally and entire width of said body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,753,839 8/1973 Funke et al156-527 3,740,297 6/ 1973 Vidinsky 156-523 2,868,402 l/l959 Perry156-523 3,051,223 8/1962 Waltz 156-527 CHARLES E. VAN HORN, PrimaryExaminer J. M. MASSIE, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

